Two weeks ago, no one would have envisaged Ferrari being the best of the rest at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen had just finished ninth and 10th respectively in Bahrain, the dire nature of that result enough for team principal Stefano Dominecali fall on his sword.
But in Shanghai, there were smiles, albeit tentative ones, throughout the Ferrari garage for the first time in a long time following Fernando Alonso’s impressive third place. It was the first Ferrari podium since the 2013 season-ending Brazilian GP – behind the two Mercedes, who as expected were once again in a class of their own.
What exactly does this mean for the Prancing Horse?
A more realistic barometer will come at Alonso’s home race, the Spanish Grand Prix, in three weeks time, Shanghai being a circuit that has been kind on the Ferraris for much of the past.
The tifosi have cheered a Ferrari to victory in four of the 11 runnings of the Chinese Grand Prix, the most notable being Alonso’s win a year ago which went against the form book.
The characteristics of the circuit play into the strengths of the Ferrari, which relishes the fast corners and there were certainly positives to be taken this time around.
For one; the rear end of the car, which has repeatedly given up in the twitchy corners held up well in turns two and three with the two Ferraris more glued to the track that would have been anticipated.
In addition, there appeared to be far greater straightline speed than at the previous three grands prix of 2014.
Alonso’s pace had been impressive from the outset of Friday practice although there were suggestions the quick times had been set on low fuel loads to give Ferrari supporters something of a lift.
But no one was certain how that might translate into the race.
In truth it was better than envisaged with the Italian manufacturer noticeably quicker.
However, how much of that was down to Alonso is a point of conjecture – after all, teammate Raikkonen was merely scrapping it out for the minor points yesterday – and will this pace translate to the European races on the calendar.
Nothing has greatly changed since Bahrain and the team have merely added small upgrades to thecar that were tested there but not deemed sufficiently reliable to race with a week ago.
Plus, there is the fact that the team are still some way off the pace of Mercedes, roughly one second a lap in full race spec, which is a gargantuan amount in modern-day F1.
None of the improvement in China can really be put down to the new man at the helm, Marco Mattiaci, poached from Ferrari’s North American operation with a 6am phone call to his New York home.
Mattiaci has said that “whatever is needed will be done” to bring Ferrari back to being a dominant force in F1 and that “our objective is to close the gap as soon as possible with Mercedes”.
It is, by Mattiaci’s admission, “not an easy task”.
With what transpired at the weekend, some could argue that Domenicali may have jumped too quickly but the reality is that life under him has coincided with a period of relative mediocrity.
Following the golden years of Jean Todt at the helm with Michael Schumacher was always going to be a tough act to follow and Domenicali was well liked up and down the grid for his approach, but likeability doesn’t win races.
The suggestion is that Mattiacci will do his leading with tough love.
Quite what he can do – and there are doubters – remains to be seen but the reality is that, even after China, Ferrari are still “a long way off the leaders”, as Alonso himself so pertinently put it.
His credentials may be questioned with no F1 experience of note but this has often been the Ferrari way, Enzo Ferrari previously renowned from getting his team bosses from all and sundry – ranging from a football manager to a journalist.
When offered the job of team principal, Mattiaci admitted he thought initially it was a joke.
With how things unfolded in Bahrain, the team were conscious it could be turning into one.
Will China prove a false dawn or are Ferrari finally turning the corner in a bid to be the best of the rest behind Mercedes?
Only time will tell.
